Student Forbidden From Taking Saxophone On School Bus

RAYNHAM (CBS) – Andrew DiMarzio can wail on the tenor saxophone. He’s also practicing on an alto sax, to learn that too.

But tomorrow morning, he is forbidden from bringing either one to Raynham Middle School on his bus.

“I just want to see them let me on the bus with the instrument,” explains the 12-year-old.

WBZ-TV’s Jim Armstrong reports

Andrew’s parents go to work too early every morning, so the 6th grader has no choice but to take the bus.

Yet a couple of weeks ago, his driver said the sax can’t come along. It’s a decision the owner of the bus company stands behind.

“If it doesn’t fit and there’s no place to put it then absolutely. It becomes a safety issue,” says Bill Lucini, owner of Lucini Bus Line, Inc. With no empty seats on Andrew’s bus, he says, there’s simply no room for his sax.

“No one wants to jeopardize someone’s safety and that’s what this is,” Lucini continued. “We’re not against music programs. I mean, we’re a bus company trying to operate as safely as we can.”

Andrew’s mom feels like her son is being targeted. She says his bus, number 9, is the only one where big instruments are forbidden.

“This is how we’re teaching our kids, that some kids have to follow the rules and other kids and flaunt them”, asks Cathy DiMarzio. “Either everyone with these instruments can be allowed on the bus or none of them can be allowed. You’re targeting one student, one bus, and that’s just not right.”

The superintendent of schools and the chairwoman of the school committee both are on the record, saying they wish they could help but they can’t figure out what a solution to this problem would be.

But for Andrew’s family, it’s pretty clear.

According to his mom: “I would like to have Andrew and his sax back on the bus. I have to pay for the bus, I’m more than willing to do that.”

backpacks are just as deadly as a sax or any musical instrument cases; if there is an accident, then everything will be hurling through the bus; and I agree with Just Wonderin’, lack of seat belts should be a concern; as I have a sax player in my house, I’m sure those parents have to pay for or rent the sax, pay for lessons, and then the child is being told he can’t bring it back & forth – how is he supposed to practice for band – buy 2???

Lame excuse by the bus company. I knew tons of kids who took their sax on the bus. And it’s only an Alto Sax. The Tenor Saxophones are twice as big and even then they were allowed on the bus. It was one way of ensuring you had your seat all to yourself. Does this bus have seatbelts too? Do all the sliding windows work? I doubt it. Yet they’re concerned about this. I agree with the parents. This really seems like their son is being unfairly targeted.

Wanna bet the kids with sports equipment can bring stuff on the buss? I agree – either they all can bring it on or none – no matter what busline the kids are on. The school committee should be able to figure something out. Dumb excuse.

so here is the solution, it is the responsibility of the school system to transport children to school, not their stuff.
If your child plays an instrument at school that will not fit in the child’s bag, have the parents drop off the instrument at the school on their way to work.

The only reason this is even on the news is because the parents contacted every television station to get publicity. If they can’t give him a ride to school, perhaps he could walk, get a ride with a friend or even easier..take up a smaller instrument, like a flute. What a waste of space for a spoiled kid.

OK what about students bringing their class projects on the bus,, The hours they put into them and it could be a hazard for others How do you put them on your lap, I think this is just stupid,,, many students bring an instrument on the bus, some bring sports equipment on the bus, others their book filled back packs, all can be dangerous to someone, I see students on buses that are standing ,, DANGEROUS, backpacks should be on the floor under the seats, why are they allowed on their laps, SEAT BELTS well that’s been a huge fight for years, They should have them.. the driver does, and why are not all buses equipped with cameras,,, bus companies need to make safety a priority not an option.

Some really idiotic comments above:
Take up a smaller instrument (just plain dumb)
Leave it at school (how can he practice?)
Have the parents drop the instrument at the school (If they could do that, they could bring the kid to school!)
Parents are looking for publicity. (Damn Right! This is plain ignorance)

Suppose the school had a really fat kid who took the same bus who can’t share a seat? Or suppose a new family moved into the same neighborhood, and they had to have two more kids ride the same bus? What would the school system do? They would rearrange bus routes to accommodate all the students. The sax is as important as a student’s book bag. It is simply an additional piece of school equipment.

Good luck with the sax Andrew! I think it’s great that kids learn music, it really is beneficial in so many ways. You’ll learn a lifelong skill. School: typical expected scripted response, no big surprise.

That is a stupid comment. So using your logic, the bus company can transport the child to school, the parents then can bring their school bag with their school books, school work school projects and school sports equipment, just like a school instrument, to the school. You are ignorant at best and you are the prime example fro why the United states is ranked so low to other countries. Get it straight. These countries destroy us academically because music is mandated there and not here.

I could understand if Andrew played the tuba or the bass drum but a saxophone – sorry, I cannot see the problem. I agree with Just Wonderin” – to me, no seat belts are far more of a safety issue. I wish I lived closer to Andrew – I’d drive him and his sax to school. I assume the school committee chairperson and the school superintendent are intelligent (maybe I assume too much) – they should be able to figure out a solution.

3. The solution is, since his bus is full, for one of the other buses that goes by his street to stop and pick him up…with his saxophone. Not all of the buses are full, but bus 9 is really, really, full.